Shoe lacing



O. GRAF E LACING iled Jul 13, 192] Patented Apr. 10, 1923.

STATES PATEN SHOE LACING.

Application. filed July 13,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OsoAR GRAFF, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shoe Iiacings, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in shoe laces and more particularly to an improved structure for high laced boots or shoes.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a removable flap to which the laces are connected so that the flap may be quickly hooked to the body portion of the shoe when the laces are loose so that the laces need not be withdrawn from the lace eyelets.

One 0] the objects 01 the invention is to provide a structure which will permit the shoe to be quickly removed from the foot without removing the laces from the eyelets, and which will also permit the shoe to be quickly fastened on the foot and the laces tightened without the necessity of inserting the laces in the eyelets after they have once been placed in position.

Other objects of the invention will appear upon consideration of the following detail description and accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a perspective view of a shoe constructed in accordance with my invention, and

Figure 2 is a perspective view showlng the shoe open whereby the foot may be inserted in the shoe to have the boot laced thereon.

Referring to the drawing the shoe 1 is of the high lace type such as is worn by ladies during the winter season, although it will be obvious that the inven tion will be equally well adapted to be applied to any type of high lace boot. On one marginal edge of the opening in the boot top is a strip 2 which is provided with the usual eyelet 3. This strip 2 is a permanent strip being rigidly and securely sewed to the boot and cannot be removedtherefrom.

At the opposite side of the opening is arranged a removable strip 4: which is adapted to be connected to the marginal edge of the opening by means of hooks and loops so that by numerals,

1921. Serial No. 484,329.

the strip may be attached and detached. Adj acent this marginal edge is provided a series of loops 5 which are adapted to receive hooks 6 mounted on the detachable strip, and the detachable strip is provided with eyelets which correspond to the eyelets in the per manent strip. This detachable strip is constructed so that when the hooks 6 are engaged with the loop 5, the strip will have the appearance of the permanent strip and therefore will not detract from the general appearance of the shoe. When the shoe laces are inserted in the eyelets in both of the strips the same can be laced up in the ordinary manner so that the shoe can be tightened. When the shoe is to be removed it is merely necessary to loosen the shoe strings without removing them from the eyelet whereupon the detachable strip may be disconnected by disconnecting the hooks from the loop and thus swing the laced portion open as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing to permit the user to remove her foot. When the shoe is put on, the hooks 6 will be caught in the loop 5 and the laces may then be tightened to firmly fasten the shoe in the desired manner.

Minor changes may be made in the details of construction without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claims hereunto appended.

lVhat is claimed is:

In combination with a high laced boot or shoe provided with an open front gap, each marginal edge of the gap being straight and extending throughout the length of the shoe, a strip removably fixed to one marginal edge of the gap and provided with eyelets, a detachable strip provided with hooks, loops mounted on the marginal edge of the other side of the gap and adapted to be engaged by the hooks on the detachable strip, the latter being provided with eyelets, and a shoe string adapted to be inserted in the eyelets for drawing the two strips together when the hooks are engaged with the loops.

In testimony whereof, I have afixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses:

OSCAR GRAFF. Witnesses:

HENRY KooK,

JOSEPH SHMIDT. 

